Alex Dewar

Alexander Tattenhall Dewar (19 June 1912 – 7 January 1995) was a leather manufacturer and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.[1]

The Honourable Alex Dewar
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Chermside
In office 29 April 1950 – 28 May 1960
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Wavell
In office 28 May 1960 – 17 May 1969
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Arthur Crawford
Personal details
Born	Alexander Tattenhall Dewar 19 June 1912 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died	7 January 1995 (aged 82) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party
Other political affiliations	Independent Liberal
Spouse(s)	Ailsa Marjorie Drain (m.1946 d.1991)
Occupation	Leather manufacturing

Early days

Dewar was born in Brisbane, Queensland, to parents Alexander Sawers Dewar and his wife Elizabeth Fraser (née Macdonald). He was educated at Chermside and Wooloowin State Schools and the Commercial High School. In World War II he served in 143rd Australian General Transport Company from 1942 and then joined the RAAF the next year where he achieved the rank of Flying officer and serving in England and Canada. He was discharged in February 1946[2] and took up work at the family leather manufacturing in Kedron.[3]

Political career

At the 1950 state election, Dewar contested the new seat of Chermside for the Liberal Party and defeated Labor's J.B. Macarthur.[4] He held the seat until it was abolished for the 1960 election. He then won the seat of Wavell, holding it until his defeat in 1969.

During his time in Parliament he was Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Problems of Youth (1957-1959), Minister for Labour and Industry (1963-1965), Minister for Industrial Development (1965-1967) and deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1965.

He was forced to resign as Minister for Industrial Development in 1967 for allegedly "kissing and certain other actions" with two girls from the Department of Labor and Tourism. Dewar was outraged at the accusations and accused departmental public servants of spreading the story. He resigned from the Liberal Party in August 1968 and sat as an Independent Liberal for the last year of his parliamentary career.

Personal life

On the 16 Nov 1946, Dewar married Ailsa Marjorie Drain (died 1991)[5] and together had one son and one daughter.[1]

Dewar died in January 1995 and was cremated at Albany Creek Memorial Park Crematorium.[6]

References

1. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
2. World War II Nominal Roll — Australian Government. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
3. And here are some new faces — The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
4. This is how you voted at yesterday's election — The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
5. Ailsa Marjorie Dewar ( - 1991) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
6. Alexander Tattenhall Dewar ( - 1995) — Heaven Address. Retrieved 12 March 2015.